Northwestern
#12 Duke
Northwestern Continues Road Swing at No. 12 Duke
2/22/2024 6:06:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern baseball treks to Durham for a three-game series at No. 12 Duke. Friday's matchup is set for 4 p.m. CT, Saturday's meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, and Sunday's contest is slated for 11 a.m. CT. All three games will be streamed on ACCNX.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, February 23rd at 4 p.m. CT: Nolan Morr vs. Jonathan Santucci
Saturday, February 24th at 2 p.m. CT: Matt McClure vs. Andrew Healy
Sunday, February 25th at 11 a.m. CT: TBD vs. Aidan Weaver
The Wildcats will send out a rotation of LHP Nolan Morr and RHP Matt McClure this weekend, with Sunday's starter still to be named. Morr threw six shutout innings against the Green Wave on Friday night, striking out five batters while allowing just four hits and zero walks. McClure allowed three runs in his 2024 debut against the Green Wave, striking out three batters in four innings of work.
Weekend Recap
Last weekend, NU took Game One of the 2024 season to claim Ben Greenspan's first win as Head Coach of the Northwestern Wildcats 9-0 over Tulane on Opening Day. Tulane responded to win the next two games to claim the series. The win marked Northwestern's first Opening Day win since sweeping an Opening Day doubleheader against Nevada (4-2, 5-1) on February 19, 2016. The Opening Day shutout victory marked Northwestern's first Opening Day shutout win since defeating BYU 1-0 on February 15, 2003. The Wildcat offense posted nine runs in two of three games, its first time scoring 9+ runs in two games of a series since May 19-21, 2022. The Wildcats scored in the ninth inning of all three games of last weekend's series.
Nolan Morr earned the win in a 9-0 Opening Day shutout victory over Tulane, posting a line of zero runs, four hits, five strikeouts, zero walks in six innings pitched. Morr helped Northwestern to its first Opening Day win since 2016. The Connecticut native logged his first start since May 8, 2022. He becomes the first Wildcat starter to throw six shutout innings in a win since Michael Farinelli recorded 7.1 scoreless innings at Indiana in a 7-6 win on April 2, 2022. Baseball America recognized Nolan Morr as part of its Friday Night Ace Watch.
Tyler Ganus slashed .455/.600/.545 from the leadoff spot across three games at Tulane. The Oregon transfer knocked in four RBI across the series, batting 3-for-4 with runners in scoring position. He recorded a career-high three hits and three RBI in Friday night's 9-0 Opening Day win over Tulane. Over three games, Ganus swiped two bases against the Green Wave. The Los Angeles native scored a run in all three of Northwestern's games last weekend.
Garrett Shearer earned the save on Friday in his first collegiate appearance. The first-year tossed three scoreless innings, striking out five, while allowing just one hit and one walk. Shearer is the first NU first-year to throw 3-plus scoreless innings with 5-plus strikeouts since Sam Garewal tossed 6.1 scoreless innings, recording 7 strikeouts against Indiana on May 6, 2023. Shearer is the first Wildcat first-year to earn a save since Garrett Boeckle did so in a 4-2 win over Michigan State on March 13, 2021.
Seven first-years (Zach Selfon, Cole Mascott, Jackson Freeman, Griffin Mills, Alex Thomas, Colin Dowdle, and Garrett Shearer) all made their collegiate debut last weekend at Tulane. Five transfers (Preston Knott, Peter Michael, Tyler Ganus, Lorenzo Rios, and Kyle Potthoff) made their Wildcat debut in New Orleans. Zach Selfon recorded his first career hit and first career RBI on a pinch-hit ninth-inning single on Sunday, February 18. Jackson Freeman started all three games in the outfield for the 'Cats, posting an on-base percentage of .357 and leading all 'Cats with four runs. Alex Thomas recorded his first career strikeout in relief in the bottom of the eighth on Sunday, February 18. Colin Dowdle worked a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning against the Green Wave on Saturday, February 17. Lorenzo Rios doubled home Freeman in the top of the eighth inning to give the Wildcats the lead on Sunday, February 17.
Series History
The Blue Devils lead the all-time series against the Wildcats 2-1, with the only meetings coming over a three-game series in 2019.
Up Next
The 'Cats will return home for a midweek matchup with Illinois State on Tuesday, February 27 at 2:30 p.m. CT at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.
